Securing research funding is a competitive process. Review panels look for more than just sound science - they’re also seeking evidence of novel thinking, technical feasibility, and efficient resource use. One often-overlooked way to bolster your proposal is through your choice of methods. By integrating ambient temperature cell preservation into your grant application, you can showcase innovation while removing logistical hurdles that might otherwise complicate your study.
In this article, we’ll explore how Atelerix’s technology can help strengthen the methods, budget, and reproducibility sections of your next grant submission.
What is Ambient Cell Preservation - and Why Does it Matter?
Traditionally, live cells and tissues require cryopreservation or refrigeration for transport and storage - a cold chain approach that introduces complexity, cost, and risk. Atelerix’s patented encapsulation technology offers a compelling alternative. By embedding cells in an alginate-based hydrogel, researchers can preserve their viability and function at room temperature, often for up to several days.
For grant applicants, this represents a powerful opportunity to introduce a novel, publishable method with clear practical benefits.
Where It Strengthens Your Application
1. Methods Section: Show Innovation with Purpose
Grant reviewers often see thousands of applications referencing the same tried-and-tested preservation methods. By incorporating Atelerix’s technology, you’re introducing a technique that is both scientifically grounded and less commonly cited, helping your proposal stand out without sacrificing rigour.
Example justification text:
"This project will utilise Atelerix’s hydrogel encapsulation platform to preserve and transport viable [cell type] at ambient temperature. This method avoids the need for cryopreservation, offering improved sample stability, reduced infrastructure requirements, and suitability for multi-site or field-based workflows."
This kind of language not only signals innovation, but also shows reviewers that you've thought deeply about the operational aspects of your study.
2. Risk Management: Reduce Technical and Logistical Uncertainty
One of the most common reasons proposals are downgraded is the presence of avoidable risks. Cold chain logistics can be a significant vulnerability, whether due to freezer failures, dry ice shipment delays, or sample degradation during transit.
By eliminating the need for dry ice, liquid nitrogen, or -80°C freezers, Atelerix’s approach helps you de-risk your project in the eyes of funders.
🔎 Ideal for multi-centre collaborations, tissue collection from clinics, or studies in low-infrastructure environments.
3. Budget Section: Do More with Less
Cold chain systems come at a price: specialist containers, priority couriers, temperature monitoring, and deep freezer capacity. These expenses often take up a disproportionate share of small grants or pilot awards.
Switching to ambient preservation lets you free up budget for actual research - reagents, personnel time, and data collection - rather than infrastructure. It's a subtle but persuasive point when reviewers assess your value-for-money.
💡 Tip: Include a note that your project avoids cold chain costs, and attach comparative courier quotes if available.
Publication Potential: A Bonus Benefit
Academics know that methods matter - especially when it comes to publishability. Journals increasingly seek reproducible, accessible techniques. By adopting a room temperature preservation method that others can replicate without specialised equipment, you're positioning your project for wider impact and citation.
If you’re publishing in methods-focused or translational journals, Atelerix’s approach may even become a focal point of your manuscript.
Ready-to-Use Language for Your Application
To save time, here’s a sample paragraph you can adapt directly for your grant submission:
“This project will implement Atelerix’s encapsulation technology to preserve [cell or tissue type] at ambient temperature for transport and short-term storage. This approach removes the reliance on cold chain logistics, lowering cost and reducing technical risk. Encapsulation maintains cellular integrity and viability, offering a reproducible, field-compatible method suitable for distributed or time-sensitive research.”
Need help tailoring this to your cell type or application area? Our technical team can provide custom support or help you describe the method in a way that aligns with your study goals.
Support for Applicants
We’re happy to assist academic investigators and research managers during the proposal development stage. Whether you're writing for a national funding agency, a departmental seed grant, or a multi-centre programme, we can:
- Help identify how Atelerix fits within your workflow
- Provide supporting material (technical specs, use cases, citations)
- Offer guidance on logistics, shipping, and integration
Simply contact us or reply to this post to request support.
Conclusion
Incorporating ambient preservation into your grant isn’t just about saving time and money - it’s a signal to reviewers that you’re thinking ahead. By removing cold chain dependencies, you improve your study's robustness, flexibility, and feasibility.
Atelerix helps you move beyond the freezer - and one step closer to funding success.
